English
Aftertwoorthreedays,whenIhadestablishedmyselfinmyroomandhadgonebackwardsandforwardstoLondonseveraltimes,andhadorderedallIwantedofmytradesmen,Mr.PocketandIhadalongtalktogether.
HeknewmoreofmyintendedcareerthanIknewmyself,forhereferredtohishavingbeentoldbyMr.JaggersthatIwasnotdesignedforanyprofession,andthatIshouldbewellenougheducatedformydestinyifIcould“holdmyown”withtheaverageofyoungmeninprosperouscircumstances.
Iacquiesced,ofcourse,knowingnothingtothecontrary.
HeadvisedmyattendingcertainplacesinLondon,fortheacquisitionofsuchmererudimentsasIwanted,andmyinvestinghimwiththefunctionsofexplaineranddirectorofallmystudies.
HehopedthatwithintelligentassistanceIshouldmeetwithlittletodiscourageme,andshouldsoonbeabletodispensewithanyaidbuthis.
Throughhiswayofsayingthis,andmuchmoretosimilarpurpose,heplacedhimselfonconfidentialtermswithmeinanadmirablemanner;andImaystateatoncethathewasalwayssozealousandhonourableinfulfillinghiscompactwithme,thathemademezealousandhonourableinfulfillingminewithhim.
Ifhehadshownindifferenceasamaster,IhavenodoubtIshouldhavereturnedthecomplimentasapupil;hegavemenosuchexcuse,andeachofusdidtheotherjustice.
Nor,didIeverregardhimashavinganythingludicrousabouthim—oranythingbutwhatwasserious,honest,andgood—inhistutorcommunicationwithme.
Whenthesepointsweresettled,andsofarcarriedoutasthatIhadbeguntoworkinearnest,itoccurredtomethatifIcouldretainmybedroominBarnard’sInn,mylifewouldbeagreeablyvaried,whilemymannerswouldbenonetheworseforHerbert’ssociety.
Mr.Pocketdidnotobjecttothisarrangement,buturgedthatbeforeanystepcouldpossiblybetakeninit,itmustbesubmittedtomyguardian.
IfeltthatthisdelicacyaroseoutoftheconsiderationthattheplanwouldsaveHerbertsomeexpense,soIwentofftoLittleBritainandimpartedmywishtoMr.Jaggers.
“IfIcouldbuythefurniturenowhiredforme,”saidI,“andoneortwootherlittlethings,Ishouldbequiteathomethere.”
“Goit!”saidMr.Jaggers,withashortlaugh.“Itoldyouyou’dgeton.Well!Howmuchdoyouwant?”
IsaidIdidn’tknowhowmuch.
“Come!”retortedMr.Jaggers.“Howmuch?Fiftypounds?”
“Oh,notnearlysomuch.”
“Fivepounds?”saidMr.Jaggers.
Thiswassuchagreatfall,thatIsaidindiscomfiture,“Oh!morethanthat.”
“Morethanthat,eh!”retortedMr.Jaggers,lyinginwaitforme,withhishandsinhispockets,hisheadononeside,andhiseyesonthewallbehindme;“howmuchmore?”
“Itissodifficulttofixasum,”saidI,hesitating.
“Come!”saidMr.Jaggers.“Let’sgetatit.Twicefive;willthatdo?Threetimesfive;willthatdo?Fourtimesfive;willthatdo?”
IsaidIthoughtthatwoulddohandsomely.
“Fourtimesfivewilldohandsomely,willit?”saidMr.Jaggers,knittinghisbrows.“Now,whatdoyoumakeoffourtimesfive?”
“WhatdoImakeofit?”
“Ah!”saidMr.Jaggers;“howmuch?”
“Isupposeyoumakeittwentypounds,”saidI,smiling.
“NevermindwhatImakeit,myfriend,”observedMr.Jaggers,withaknowingandcontradictorytossofhishead.“Iwanttoknowwhatyoumakeit.”
“Twentypounds,ofcourse.”
“Wemmick!”saidMr.Jaggers,openinghisofficedoor.“TakeMr.Pip’swrittenorder,andpayhimtwentypounds.”
Thisstronglymarkedwayofdoingbusinessmadeastronglymarkedimpressiononme,andthatnotofanagreeablekind.
Mr.Jaggersneverlaughed;butheworegreatbrightcreakingboots,and,inpoisinghimselfontheseboots,withhislargeheadbentdownandhiseyebrowsjoinedtogether,awaitingananswer,hesometimescausedthebootstocreak,asiftheylaughedinadryandsuspiciousway.
Ashehappenedtogooutnow,andasWemmickwasbriskandtalkative,IsaidtoWemmickthatIhardlyknewwhattomakeofMr.Jaggers’smanner.
“Tellhimthat,andhe’lltakeitasacompliment,”answeredWemmick;“hedon’tmeanthatyoushouldknowwhattomakeofit.—Oh!”
forIlookedsurprised,“it’snotpersonal;it’sprofessional:onlyprofessional.”
Wemmickwasathisdesk,lunching—andcrunching—onadryhardbiscuit;piecesofwhichhethrewfromtimetotimeintohisslitofamouth,asifhewerepostingthem.
“Alwaysseemstome,”saidWemmick,“asifhehadsetamantrapandwaswatchingit.Suddenly—click—you’recaught!”
Withoutremarkingthatman-trapswerenotamongtheamenitiesoflife,IsaidIsupposedhewasveryskilful?
“Deep,”saidWemmick,“asAustralia.”Pointingwithhispenattheofficefloor,toexpressthatAustraliawasunderstood,forthepurposesofthefigure,tobesymmetricallyontheoppositespotoftheglobe.
“Iftherewasanythingdeeper,”addedWemmick,bringinghispentopaper,“he’dbeit.”
Then,IsaidIsupposedhehadafinebusiness,andWemmicksaid,“Ca-pi-tal!”ThenIaskedifthereweremanyclerks?towhichhereplied:
“Wedon’trunmuchintoclerks,becausethere’sonlyoneJaggers,andpeoplewon’thavehimatsecond-hand.Thereareonlyfourofus.Wouldyouliketosee‘em?Youareoneofus,asImaysay.”
Iacceptedtheoffer.WhenMr.Wemmickhadputallthebiscuitintothepost,andhadpaidmemymoneyfromacash-boxinasafe,thekeyofwhichsafehekeptsomewheredownhisbackandproducedfromhiscoat-collarlikeanironpigtail,wewentup-stairs.
Thehousewasdarkandshabby,andthegreasyshouldersthathadlefttheirmarkinMr.Jaggers’sroom,seemedtohavebeenshufflingupanddownthestaircaseforyears.
Inthefrontfirstfloor,aclerkwholookedsomethingbetweenapublicanandarat-catcher—alargepalepuffedswollenman—wasattentivelyengagedwiththreeorfourpeopleofshabbyappearance,whomhetreatedasunceremoniouslyaseverybodyseemedtobetreatedwhocontributedtoMr.Jaggers’scoffers.
“Gettingevidencetogether,”saidMr.Wemmick,aswecameout,“fortheBailey.”
Intheroomoverthat,alittleflabbyterrierofaclerkwithdanglinghair(hiscroppingseemedtohavebeenforgottenwhenhewasapuppy)wassimilarlyengagedwithamanwithweakeyes,whomMr.Wemmickpresentedtomeasasmelterwhokepthispotalwaysboiling,andwhowouldmeltmeanythingIpleased—andwhowasinanexcessivewhite-perspiration,asifhehadbeentryinghisartonhimself.
Inabackroom,ahigh-shoulderedmanwithaface-achetiedupindirtyflannel,whowasdressedinoldblackclothesthatboretheappearanceofhavingbeenwaxed,wasstoopingoverhisworkofmakingfaircopiesofthenotesoftheothertwogentlemen,forMr.Jaggers’sownuse.
Thiswasalltheestablishment.Whenwewentdown-stairsagain,Wemmickledmeintomyguardian’sroom,andsaid,“Thisyou’veseenalready.”
“Pray,”saidI,asthetwoodiouscastswiththetwitchyleeruponthemcaughtmysightagain,“whoselikenessesarethose?”
“These?”saidWemmick,gettinguponachair,andblowingthedustoffthehorribleheadsbeforebringingthemdown.“Thesearetwocelebratedones.
Famousclientsofoursthatgotusaworldofcredit.
Thischap(whyyoumusthavecomedowninthenightandbeenpeepingintotheinkstand,togetthisblotuponyoureyebrow,youoldrascal!)
murderedhismaster,and,consideringthathewasn’tbroughtuptoevidence,didn’tplanitbadly.”
“Isitlikehim?”Iasked,recoilingfromthebrute,asWemmickspatuponhiseyebrowandgaveitarubwithhissleeve.
“Likehim?It’shimself,youknow.
ThecastwasmadeinNewgate,directlyafterhewastakendown.
Youhadaparticularfancyforme,hadn’tyou,OldArtful?”saidWemmick.
Hethenexplainedthisaffectionateapostrophe,bytouchinghisbroochrepresentingtheladyandtheweepingwillowatthetombwiththeurnuponit,andsaying,“Haditmadeforme,express!”
“Istheladyanybody?”saidI.
“No,”returnedWemmick.“Onlyhisgame.
(Youlikedyourbitofgame,didn’tyou?)
No;deuceabitofaladyinthecase,Mr.Pip,exceptone—andshewasn’tofthisslenderladylikesort,andyouwouldn’thavecaughtherlookingafterthisurn—unlesstherewassomethingtodrinkinit.”
Wemmick’sattentionbeingthusdirectedtohisbrooch,heputdownthecast,andpolishedthebroochwithhispocket-handkerchief.
“Didthatothercreaturecometothesameend?”Iasked.“Hehasthesamelook.”
“You’reright,”saidWemmick;“it’sthegenuinelook.
Muchasifonenostrilwascaughtupwithahorsehairandalittlefish-hook.
Yes,hecametothesameend;quitethenaturalendhere,Iassureyou.
Heforgedwills,thisbladedid,ifhedidn’talsoputthesupposedtestatorstosleeptoo.
YouwereagentlemanlyCove,though”(Mr.Wemmickwasagainapostrophizing),“andyousaidyoucouldwriteGreek.Yah,Bounceable!Whataliaryouwere!Inevermetsuchaliarasyou!”
Beforeputtinghislatefriendonhisshelfagain,Wemmicktouchedthelargestofhismourningringsandsaid,“Sentouttobuyitforme,onlythedaybefore.”
Whilehewasputtinguptheothercastandcomingdownfromthechair,thethoughtcrossedmymindthatallhispersonaljewellerywasderivedfromlikesources.
Ashehadshownnodiffidenceonthesubject,Iventuredonthelibertyofaskinghimthequestion,whenhestoodbeforeme,dustinghishands.
“Ohyes,”hereturned,“theseareallgiftsofthatkind.
Onebringsanother,yousee;that’sthewayofit.Ialwaystake‘em.They’recuriosities.Andthey’reproperty.
Theymaynotbeworthmuch,but,afterall,they’repropertyandportable.
Itdon’tsignifytoyouwithyourbrilliantlook-out,butastomyself,myguidingstaralwaysis,“Getholdofportableproperty”.”
WhenIhadrenderedhomagetothislight,hewentontosay,inafriendlymanner:
“Ifatanyoddtimewhenyouhavenothingbettertodo,youwouldn’tmindcomingovertoseemeatWalworth,Icouldofferyouabed,andIshouldconsideritanhonour.
Ihavenotmuchtoshowyou;butsuchtwoorthreecuriositiesasIhavegot,youmightliketolookover;andIamfondofabitofgardenandasummer-house.”
IsaidIshouldbedelightedtoaccepthishospitality.
“Thankee,”saidhe;“thenwe’llconsiderthatit’stocomeoff,whenconvenienttoyou.HaveyoudinedwithMr.Jaggersyet?”
“Notyet.”
“Well,”saidWemmick,“he’llgiveyouwine,andgoodwine.I’llgiveyoupunch,andnotbadpunch.andnowI’lltellyousomething.WhenyougotodinewithMr.Jaggers,lookathishousekeeper.”
“ShallIseesomethingveryuncommon?”
“Well,”saidWemmick,“you’llseeawildbeasttamed.Notsoveryuncommon,you’lltellme.
Ireply,thatdependsontheoriginalwildnessofthebeast,andtheamountoftaming.
Itwon’tloweryouropinionofMr.Jaggers’spowers.Keepyoureyeonit.”
ItoldhimIwoulddoso,withalltheinterestandcuriositythathispreparationawakened.
AsIwastakingmydeparture,heaskedmeifIwouldliketodevotefiveminutestoseeingMr.Jaggers“atit?”
Forseveralreasons,andnotleastbecauseIdidn’tclearlyknowwhatMr.Jaggerswouldbefoundtobe“at,”Irepliedintheaffirmative.
WedivedintotheCity,andcameupinacrowdedpolicecourt,whereablood-relation(inthemurderoussense)ofthedeceasedwiththefancifultasteinbrooches,wasstandingatthebar,uncomfortablychewingsomething;whilemyguardianhadawomanunderexaminationorcross-examination—Idon’tknowwhich—andwasstrikingher,andthebench,andeverybodypresent,withawe.
Ifanybody,ofwhatsoeverdegree,saidawordthathedidn’tapproveof,heinstantlyrequiredtohaveit“takendown.”
Ifanybodywouldn’tmakeanadmission,hesaid,“I’llhaveitoutofyou!”
andifanybodymadeanadmission,hesaid,“NowIhavegotyou!”
themagistratesshiveredunderasinglebiteofhisfinger.
Thievesandthieftakershungindreadraptureonhiswords,andshrankwhenahairofhiseyebrowsturnedintheirdirection.
Whichsidehewason,Icouldn’tmakeout,forheseemedtometobegrindingthewholeplaceinamill;IonlyknowthatwhenIstoleoutontiptoe,hewasnotonthesideofthebench;for,hewasmakingthelegsoftheoldgentlemanwhopresided,quiteconvulsiveunderthetable,byhisdenunciationsofhisconductastherepresentativeofBritishlawandjusticeinthatchairthatday.
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